Pandurang Salgaonkar, Maharashtra Cricket Association’s pitch curator, has been handed a six-month suspension by the International Cricket Council

cricketUpdated: Mar 06, 2018 18:41 IST

HT Correspondent

Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Pandurang Salgaonkar (L) has been handed a six-month suspension by the International Cricket Council for failing to report an approach for pitch manipulation.(PTI file photo)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Pandurang Salgaonkar, Maharashtra Cricket Association’s pitch curator, for failing to report an approach of pitch manipulation, ahead of an India-New Zealand ODI in Pune late last year.

“Salgaonkar was charged with a failure to report an approach but no evidence was found of him actually having been engaged in corruption and therefore no charges were laid against him on that basis,” the world governing body for cricket stated in a press release on Tuesday.

The allegations of corruption were levelled against Salgaonkar by India Today, who ran a sting operation against him ahead of the match.

“I am satisfied that Mr. Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today. However, as he is bound by the ICC Anti-Corruption Code as a participant of the sport, he has been charged with breaching section 2.4.4 of the Code for his failure to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct,” ICC General Manager – Anti-Corruption Alex Marshall said.

“Mr Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension, which has been backdated to 25 October 2017, being the date he was internally suspended by MCA, and he will therefore be free to resume his duties on 24 April 2018,” he added.